Peanut harvester



3 Sheets-Sheet 1 IFiled Dec. 17, 1946 .n.wl

July 25, 1950 J. M. HADDEN 2,516,769

PEANUT HARVESTER 3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Deo. 17, 1946 @m5 412g w' l .z 30, g 25 6' M 45' mf" 5&6 D 55H 2:9

A TTOR/VEY 3 Sheets-Sheel; 5

J. M. HADDEN PEANUT HARVESTER July 25, 1950 Filed Deo. 17, 1946 m W wY N E p. W .V M w M J A fm (uw WW mY fam, ,Q\m\ NN NN www \W Patented July 25, 1950 HARVESTER z-.J-oseph Marshall Hadden, Avera,vGa. H'implicatonDeeelriber 17, l94'6,f"Seial"No.`7165766 T31 Claims.

invention relates to peanut harvesters,

andan'- object of 'the invention is to provide means :for Tcollecting peanut 'vines with tl'ie"=peanuts on the roots thereof; and lconveying 'them to fa pile- 'recelving' element which is-va part off-the machine, lan'df -dislodging 'the *soil Ior learth "from the v-roots 'during the travel of'the vines-to thefpilingfinstrumentality. 'iA-'ffnrther object of the-inventionisfto providewa peanut collecting and conveying instrumentality 'havinga' conveyoriassociatedwith 4a 'frame' structure,"havingnovelvmeans-by Which-the conveyor is actuated 'or driven -fro-m `ther-side front Ipower take-off orfbyfa-chain from Sthef'conventional rear 'power Atake-oil. of a tractor A'employed Iforitransporting the collecting means, tand inwhiohr preferably the tractor is provided Withfafplow which -dislodges the roots of 'the vines f and prepares' them L'for'reception'by"tlieconveyor, whichconveyor 'has' vmeans for engaging the .vines `'and rremoving "them from the earth v'after ythey have become-'dislodged lby the plow. "Wh-ile Yreferente has 'fbeen inside tothe manner ofoperating*theconveyon it is obvious that other driving fmeans su'ch'as'a `oonventionalmotor'could beutilizedor operating hythe* said conveyor.

A still further object of fthis invention is to provide ta "receptacle, which term is v`used vsynonlymously with a ",collector', 'for the vines, on which the vines are piled until their f-weight Viovereomes'the tension of springs, which1 springs hold the "collector in elevated' position until the ggravityof the 'collected vines overcomes'theten- 'sion Nof 'the springs, "at which time` the collector sags .or'moves downwardly until the-vinesonthe .collector .engagethe earth landarefdragged 4from the 'collector 'byfriction lof the `v-inesin contact with the' earth.

.A' further object o'f Athis `invention 'is"to"provide ashoe in iront of the conveyorwhichpis effective :to .undercutthe loose vinesso that they will be presentedinto operativerelation with the,l conveyor; and it is furthermorean .object to 4provide means for adjusting the depth of loperation `offthe shoeand-for holding itfat different positions of adjustment.

iA further.r object -of Athis y inventiomis ,-to- .provide .apeanutcollectorfandconveyor .which-as stated,

has Aa yconveyor -drivenfrom a ztractor, novel means i ibeingprovidediby whichseveral parts :of the oonveying 'i apparatus z are factuated `:or driven :from "thetractor-actuatedpart, toswhichmeferencehas "been made.; and iti-is furthermore :an object .to provideza'devioeof this 'character whichsisfcom- 2' para'tively i inexpensive, and *the Alsaid "harvester lhasproven eflloien'ty and satisfactory in'use.

`-Withthe `foregoingfand other 'objects in "view, the invention lconsistsfin the `details offfconstruc- S ton,:andin lthei'arrangement' and combinationi'df 'parts toibe? hereinafter 4more tullyrzset-iforth-'Yand Yrilairned '-'In I'describing :the invention "in: rdetail, v4reference willbehad to` the' accompanying `drawings form- J0 ing, part of this application, wherein likerfcharaoters r: denote 1^ corresponding `iparts v.1in f the several fviews,-i:and' in which: n

1E-figure 1' is a `sectional'aview 'taken along vfthe 'lliguretxaillustrates .a'zplan view zo'fithe peanut harvester but fbeing r`on a somewhat enlarged scale; and

.Figure :3 .illustrates 'fa v.view :.in Aelevationutf 20"tne1mach-ine, :partiy in 'section y'but being son sa .somewhatenlargediscale.

Figure f4iiillustrates a l*sectional vvievv Vcon fthe :'linesA-#ll'iof Fig. `1 ibut :being .oni-a somewhat enlargedscale.

' In'ithese drawings fI-rll l.and l I :denote ":the two sidemembers'fof `the framefxandi's'hafts .Il-Zvandi'l' tare;ijournaledltinzrthe: said zsijdes 4atthe -frontfan'd zrearvendgrespectively. vThe shafts .have sprocket iwheelsgsucheas :IL-l 4, mounted.on'zthemi-atfzthe 30 finnerf suriacesoofstheside :member-stand sprocket chains .t5-ale operate over :the saidirsprooket wheels. Cross :members .l=,6,vsuch as rodszor'bars, vhaveitheir ends :connected tothe opposedsprocket chains, :the cross :members lliv 'having spurs oor .35 spikesfl''fthatfengage thezvines'zorzplantsanchinsure their being transferred or moved fthe iconveyor.

"The conveyor;A is supportediinthe frame during `itsztravel fby longitudinally disposed strips fll'l 40 supported. by cross .members AI 1 whose ends-are :secured ontheinnersurfaces of-thefsidemembers ffl'rand H of tlfierame.

In the :present :embodiment of V.the invention, the .carrier-fcomprises'fa head zmember- .or bart t8 V 'having spaced@ fingers i9 with their inner "ends iattached -to the1rbar,-as. shownvr at,A 2U, andethese n'ngersfextendcoutwardlypin cradleelike formation and the '.:vines tare deposited vthereon when they -freachtthe f en'cl :sof v'the :.conveyor. Arms.all-#21,' ".haveztheir lowerffends connected to thetbaroflthe vcradla; and between: their` ends teach is mounted onsa'tpivotrZL yand the upper end of the tanins 32h-2l are `connected to rsprings 23--2-3 @which Shave .theirzoppositeendssanchored :tov the "iframe `g zstnucture, -and thearelationsofmarts1. is such..that

"the shoe of the conveyor. plows are of general use, it is thought unnecessary the springs exert tension to hold the cradle in its receptive operative position as indicated by the arrow A in Figure 1 until gravity of the pile of vines deposited thereon overcomes the tension of the springs, and .the cradle sags or descends as shown by the arrow B until it drags on the ground and the friction occasioned by the engagement of the vines with the ground is operative to dislodge the pile from the cradle, after which the tension-of" the springs restores the cradle to its receptive position.

In order to dislodge soil from the roots of the vines, a hood 24 has its end attached to the side members, and the said hood may comprise arms 25-25 of angle iron, having their inner ends attached to the side members, and the said arms extend rearwardly and are of concave formation on their lower surfaces. The arms carry a metal plate 26 which forms a hood overlying the 'pile collector, and as the vines are impelled against the under surface of the hood and the depending end thereof, the impact is sufficient to dislodge ,soil or earth from the roots of the vines and they are delivered vto the collector practically free of t`adhering earth, although, of course, some disintegrated earth may sift onto the previously collected vines which will be dislodged as the vines are Vhandled-for stacking` or poling, a process Ywhich is usually followed after the vines have been collected;`

As -a means for operating the conveyor, sprocket wheels 21--2'1' are applied to the outer ends of 'the shaft I3, and the sprocket wheels are engaged "byl sprocket chains 28-28 driving sprocket Wheels 28A and 28B on a shaft 29, and pulleys 30;-30, preferably of the V type, are also mounted on the said shaft 29, and are respectively engaged by belts 3I--3l running over pulleys '32-3 2". Eachj belt derives its power from a tractor towhich the harvester is connected and by which it is carried or propelled in its operation; it 'being the purpose of the inventor that the harvester shall be associated with a tractor 34 having a plow which will be operative to dislodge the peanut vines and make them' ready for reception by As tractors having for 'anV understanding of the invention by one "skilled in the art to show a plow attached to a tractor as it will be .located in advance of the shoes on'the inner end of the conveyor.

The sides of the conveyor have equipment for Isupporting the conveyor, which equipmentv is 'duplicated on each side of the harvester, including 'the means for driving the conveyor from the tractor- Y The driven shaft 35 of the tractor is mounted infa bearing which is provided with flanges I'36--36, to which are connected the standards 3l-3l and braces 38-38, the lower ends of which are vjoined together, as at 39-39', and these members are preferably of angle iron. yThe anges 4U-40' and il-4I are respectively con- Snected to one of the side members of the conveyor =by suitable fastenings 42, such as bolts, rivets or the like.A The iianges 40-40 and lll- 4V` each has a series of apertures, such as 43, and they are intended to receive bolts 44 or the like, which 'adjustably fasten them to the flanges 36-36, so that 'by' this means the inner end of the conveyor may be raised or lowered to suit particular requirements. Guide pulleys 45-45 are rotatably 'mounted on the upper end of the standards 31-31, and the belts 3|-3I' respectively are --threaded thereover, and the belts may be crossed `to plates 5l-5I' on the arms 48-48 and the springs 23-23' are connected to the upper ends of the respective braces. The lower end of the braces -50 are connected to beams 52 having one end attached to the posts 3'I-3T', as Shown, `and the other end attached to one side of the conveyor frame. The nesting of the braces 50-50', beams 52-52' in relation to the side members of the frame is shown at 53-53', and it is believed that the parts are so obviously illustrated that detail description thereof. is unnecessary, since appropriate joints between these parts may be modied to suit particular requirements.

It is obvious, however, that by reason of the adjustment between the posts 31-31 and between the armsS- andthe braces Sil-59 that provision is made for adjusting the height of the conveyor with relation to the tractor and the ground.

As a further means for supporting the outer end of the conveyor, a. U-shaped member 'JIS-.54

vhave arms; such as .5E-55', andthat portion of `the member between the arms `extends through thev side of the conveyon as shown at 56-56. The arms extendvforwa-rdly and have suitable cables; ropes, or connections, such as 5l-.51, the inner endsof which are anchored to the tractor.

The kstandard 3l' and beam 52 are secured to,- gether byfastenings 60, such as a nut, which operates in slots E lfor permitting the adjustment ofthe height of the outer end of. the conveyor,

Athe details of the manner in which they are to be `operated is.. omitted, but it may be stated that they are connectedto 'the usual take-0E pulleys 32A and 32B ofv a tractor .or such conventional means installed as a part of the tractor. Furthermore, with relation to the means for directing the vines to the conveyona suitable shoe may be attached to the inner end ofeach of the side members I 0 and I l which will lift vines so that the spurs |67 of the conveyor may encounter the said vines and carry them from the shoe. The shoe may be of any Aconventional type and the inventorl does not wish to bel limited with respect to its construction.

1.v A collectorfor peanut vines for use with a peanut harvester having a power driven conveyor adapted to pick up theyine's comprising a vine collecting member, 4spacedarms pivotally mountsupports on the conveyor whereby the vine collecting member is yieldingly supported above the ground until the weight of the load thereon overcomes the action of said spring means whereupon the arms will move downwardly about their pivots and the vine collecting member will engage the ground for frictionally removing the load therefrom` 2. In a vine collector as claimed in claim 1 in which a hood is rigidly supported by the conveyor intermediate the spaced arms and the end of the conveyor and projects beyond the conveyor, said hood including an arcuate-like member partially encircling the vine collecting member so that the vines leaving the conveyor will be directed thereagainst to dislodge foreign matter from the vines.

3. A collector for peanut vines for use with a peanut harvester having a power conveyor of the type adapted to pick up the vines comprising spaced arms pivotally mounted on the rear end of the conveyor, a horizontally disposed support secured to the lower ends of said arms, a plurality of outwardly extending arcuate iingers attached at their free ends to the support, a pair of spaced fixed supports associated with said conveyor and extending upwardly therefrom, a pair of spaced arms rigidly supported at the rear of and projecting beyond the conveyor, an arcuate hood supported by said arms and partially encircling the said outwardly extending arcuate fingers whereby the vines leaving the conveyor will be directed thereagainst to dislodge foreign matter from the vines and spring means connected to the upper end of each pivotally mounted arm and to each xed support whereby said outwardly extending fingers are yieldingly supported above the ground until the weight of the load deposited thereon overcomes the action of the springs whereupon the outwardly extending fingers will move downwardly and engage the ground for frictionally removing the load therefrom.

JOSEPH MARSHALL HADDEN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS 

